Since 2004, the World Naked Bike Ride has reunited cyclists across the globe to protest the world’s oil dependency and the dangers automobiles pose to them. The movement claims it uses nudity to emphasize their vulnerability as cyclists, and that 70 cities from 20 countries are participating.

This year’s protests for cities in the northern hemisphere will take place mostly on June 9th, while the southern hemisphere cities already held their events this past March 10th. Anyone can participate and nudity isn’t obligatory, many protesters opting to paint their bodies instead, and even if you don’t have a bicycle you can still take part. Furthermore, in some locations riding nude could get you arrested, prompting the WNBR organizers to recommend wearing strategically placed camouflage, such as a sock (!), to avoid breaking local laws. One of the reasons some protesters might not want to be nude is the likelihood they will be photographed or filmed, either by the media or individuals.
The Vancouver, Canada, based organization had only 13 cyclists ride in its original protest, and only 2 people cycled in Brazil’s first version in 2004. In contrast, hundreds are expected to join in this year’s edition in some of the larger cities.
For a list of participating cities, visit their website [see link below].

Related Sites:

• More articles on WNBR
• WNBR web site